With a striking blend of visual effects and state-of-the-art motion capture technology, B次元官网网址淎vatar: The Way of WaterB次元官网网址� is billed as a movie-theatre experience unlike any other in the last few years, but itB次元官网网址檚 by far James CameronB次元官网网址檚 biggest risk yet, industry analysts say.

DisneyB次元官网网址檚 second film in a projected five-part saga opens across North America this weekend to massive expectations. Can it draw enough audiences to make up for its budget, reported to be more than $250 million? And will the sequel eventually rival the $2.9-billion total gross of the original film, released in 2009?

Whether the Ontario-born filmmaker, who now lives in New Zealand, can pull off another theatrical success story depends on several factors, observers say: how the filmB次元官网网址檚 use of underwater performance capture and 3D technology will translate to profits under the current theatrical model, whether itB次元官网网址檚 going to become a must-see sensation, and if it can buck the media trend thatB次元官网网址檚 beginning to prioritize streaming in a pandemic age.

B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址楢vatar: the Way of WaterB次元官网网址� is poised for a B次元官网网址楾itanicB次元官网网址�-sized debut,B次元官网网址� said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore media analyst, referring to the filmmakerB次元官网网址檚 1997 movie that brought in about $28 million in its first weekend and went on to make $2.2 billion in ticket sales.

B次元官网网址淛ames CameronB次元官网网址檚 films have always benefited from long-term success and playability rather than a huge pop on opening weekend.B次元官网网址�

Dergarabedian added that with some ticket sales also being purchased for premium formats that include 3D and IMAX, the film benefits from more revenue-generating power.

Overall, Dergarabedian views it as unwise to underestimate the power of the film to overcome future obstacles.

In CameronB次元官网网址檚 hands, the first B次元官网网址淎vatar,B次元官网网址� a fantasy epic about a paraplegic marine torn between Earth and an alien world of sapient humanoids from a planet called Pandora, propelled the popularity of 3D viewing and motion capture technology when it was still novel.

In B次元官网网址淭he Way of Water,B次元官网网址� the marine-turned-alien Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his blue-skinned counterpart Neytiri (Zoe Salda帽a) have become parents to three children who fight against human invaders.

Cameron has said he mined his own experience as a father for the film, which introduces viewers to the next generation of young cast members.

One of those new characters in the franchise is played by actor Bailey Bass, now 19, who was six when B次元官网网址淎vatarB次元官网网址� was released and 12 when she auditioned for the next three films.

Bass plays Tsireya, the daughter of the Metkayina leaders B次元官网网址� a group of water-based humanoids that befriends the Sully family.

Bass believes that the broad appeal of Avatar 2 to fresh generations will partly come from B次元官网网址淔OMOB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a fear of missing outB次元官网网址� and the desire to take part in the popular event of the moment.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the fact that you have to go into theatres, see this film, and its glory will bring you back to looking at someone and just being like, B次元官网网址榟ey, did you see that movie?B次元官网网址滲次元官网网址� Bass said during an in-person interview in Toronto. B次元官网网址淟ike that urgency and just the community of loving a film. I think because of streaming, we havenB次元官网网址檛 really experienced that in the same way we did when Blockbuster was a thing.B次元官网网址�

Aside from AvatarB次元官网网址檚 franchise aspirations, CameronB次元官网网址檚 use of 3D motion capture technology remains the main selling point of the new film.

His use of a 48-frames-per-second, which is twice the standard, gives images a smoother and more realistic sheen as as the charactersB次元官网网址� bodies move through digital landscapes and take part in action scenes..

Steve Levitan, a media lawyer, film producer and instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University, isnB次元官网网址檛 entirely convinced that B次元官网网址淭he Way of WaterB次元官网网址� can bank as big of an audience off of this technology however, suggesting itB次元官网网址檚 something audiences will feel theyB次元官网网址檝e seen before.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e in an era of VR and advanced AI. B次元官网网址楢vatarB次元官网网址� did all of that just as YouTube was hitting its stride, let alone Netflix and streaming,B次元官网网址� said Levitan.

B次元官网网址淎 large part of the viewership and attraction to Avatar was a 3D (experience) like youB次元官网网址檝e never seen before, and I donB次元官网网址檛 know, did you go out and buy a 3D television? I hope you didnB次元官网网址檛.B次元官网网址�

The filmB次元官网网址檚 reviews hover above 80 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, and CameronB次元官网网址檚 technical bona fides and attention to detail are already being heavily celebrated over the more mixed critiques of the filmB次元官网网址檚 core story elements.

Levitan feels the plot of the first B次元官网网址淎vatarB次元官网网址� was largely forgettable and did not possess much of a cultural footprint B次元官网网址� unlike CameronB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淎lien, and B次元官网网址淭erminatorB次元官网网址� franchises.

B次元官网网址淲ill it be a more enjoyable movie? Will it be something people talk about and canB次元官网网址檛 forget?B次元官网网址� said Levitan. B次元官网网址淚f you asked me the names of the main characters in the original B次元官网网址楢vatar,B次元官网网址� I couldnB次元官网网址檛 tell you.B次元官网网址�

Irene S. Berkowitz, a media researcher and instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University, believes an industry in flux thatB次元官网网址檚 experienced additional challenges throughout the pandemic wonB次元官网网址檛 do B次元官网网址淭he Way of WaterB次元官网网址� any favours either.

B次元官网网址淭he shift to streaming wasnB次元官网网址檛 triggered by the pandemic; the pandemic accelerated what was already happening by a decade,B次元官网网址� said Berkowitz. B次元官网网址淲hile ticket prices skyrocketed, attendance plummeted, and 500 screens closed since the pandemic.B次元官网网址�

Furthermore, Berkowitz adds that itB次元官网网址檚 a lot to ask todayB次元官网网址檚 viewers to sit through three hours and 12 minutes of the film in todayB次元官网网址檚 climate of options, much less return for a second or third ride.

B次元官网网址淓xcept for young teens who would do anything to escape home, most of us prefer not to watch content on someone elseB次元官网网址檚 deadline,B次元官网网址� said Berkowitz. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 mostly generational B次元官网网址� location-based entertainment experiences are declining.B次元官网网址�

Regardless of the obstacles the film is facing, Cameron has a historically proven track record in defying the odds at the box-office.

B次元官网网址淚t should be interesting to see what happens, whether $2 billion-plus can be made on a $300 to $400-million budget,B次元官网网址� adds Berkowitz. B次元官网网址淓ven if so, few other films can keep that trend going.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擭oel Ransome, The Canadian Press